Decision time looming for injured North Carolina cornerback Storm Duck
North Carolina cornerback Storm Duck could be nearing a decision soon on whether or not he returns to the lineup this season. The sophomore, who is arguably the Tar Heels best cover corner, hasn’t played since an undisclosed lower-body injury sidelined him during the fourth quarter of their 26-22 win at Boston College on Oct. 3.
He has missed five consecutive games and on Monday was declared out for Saturday’s game against Wake Forest. With the season winding down, Duck will have to weigh if it makes more sense to concentrate on getting healthy or to play the last few games.
“What we will do is turn it over completely to the medical staff and him and his family,” UNC coach Mack Brown told reporters on a video call. “We’ve got a week off next week, so hopefully that will be a point because not only does the medical staff have to approve (injured players) to come back, they’ve got to have some practice. Storm’s not doing anything out on the field right now.”
The Heels were expecting him to do a little bit of everything defensively. Duck appeared in 13 games, starting nine last season as a freshman. He was poised to have a breakout year as a sophomore and, through the first two games, he distinguished himself among their secondary. He had two pass breakups in the opener against Syracuse. He followed that with the best defensive grade (80.6) in their win at Boston College, according to Pro Football Focus.
Duck’s injury was an omen of sorts, as the Heels have had five different starters at cornerback due to injuries, which also forced Kyler McMichael and Patrice Rene to miss games. They even experimented with moving safety Don Chapman to corner against N.C. State. Ladaeson Hollins and Rene have started the past two games, and Brown said he has been pleased with their progress.
But the Heels could surely use Duck for their final push after a week off Nov. 21. That includes key games with Notre Dame on Nov. 27 and Miami on Dec. 5, which, depending on a victory over the Deacons, are must-win games to keep Carolina’s hopes of earning an ACC Championship game berth on Dec. 19.
“I can promise you, it’s killing him that he’s not playing,” Brown said. “So if he gets a chance to play against Notre Dame, he’ll do that.”
Mack Brown may have a decision to make too
Brown said the question of will he or won’t he play would change to how much should Duck play if he does come back. His conditioning could be a factor, as well as if he would he still be a better option than the players who have backed him up while missing nearly two months of action.
“How ready will he be?” Brown said. “And do you put him in, as well as he was playing, even though these other guys are playing so well while he’s been hurt? So that all gets confusing too. But right now we’re so depleted in the secondary. We need all those guys back.”
Carolina’s secondary hasn’t totally become dismantled through the injuries. It ranks fifth in the ACC in pass-defense efficiency, having allowed just 10 touchdown passes with seven interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 55.4 percent of their passes. Safety Cam’Ron Kelly told reporters on a video call that he attributed that to the fact that the secondary holds each other accountable.
“As a unit, we definitely criticize each other constructively in the best manner we can just to keep each other going,” Kelly said. “Because, no matter what, it’s next man up, and we always preach that to each other.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 3:19 PM.